Zimmer's Hole

Side projects emerging from a parent band's downtime -- between tours, recording albums, general time off, whatever the reason -- are nothing new, and the idea of a metal band's sidemen taking on a more humorous and/or satirical tack is probably even less surprising. A highly satirical side project of Strapping Young Lad/Fear Factory/Tenet members Byron Stroud and Jed Simon, Zimmer's Hole may not have been formed in the lag time between main band activities, but the project sure did get a kick-start every now and then when the Devin Townsend-led metal mainstay Strapping Young Lad took a day or two off. Originally conceived in 1991 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Zimmer's Hole released their first album, Bound by Fire, in 1997. The band was rounded out at this stage by vocalist (and longtime Townsend collaborator) Chris Valagao and Strapping Young Lad/Dethklok drummer Steve Wheeler. But it was a case of "duty calls" for Stroud and Simon, who were unable to focus on Zimmer's Hole due to the touring regimen of Strapping Young Lad. A break in 2001 allowed for enough time to record a follow-up, Legion of Flames, a project that even managed to rope in their regular band's leader Townsend as producer, who released the album on his own label (Hevy Devy) as well. A satirical sendup of metal greats, Legion of Flames managed to build up the band's cachet just a bit more, and in 2003 Century Media re-released Zimmer's Hole's debut, Bound by Fire. For 2008's When You Were Shouting at the Devil...We Were in League with Satan, new drummer Gene Hoglan replaced Steve Wheeler. ~ Chris True